A Considerable Offer
by Virareve
Summary: AU. Journey back five years before Ferb ever set his sights on the Profesor's TA and before Isabella wrote her first article about Phineas, to the beginning of its first love story—because everyone knows that the best time to be in the city is when the holidays are coming. Candace Jeremy. Prologue Part One of the Foundation Series


**Author's Note: **Wow! I can't believe I'm finally posting this. It's been sitting around on my computer for almost a year and a half, gone through rewrites at least five times and I'm just getting around to posting this. This piece is part of a project I've been wanting to start and your commentary is especially important right now. I've always played around with the idea of different pairings I liked and what would happen if they did not know each other in Danville. I've been scribbling down a plot notes to this idea from time to time and it seems like I'm finally ready to star setting things in stone. I've always wanted to toy with the idea of how I could bring all the friends to Danville or at least get them all to meet each other. And now I get to plunge into it, starting what I believe is the first AU romance series this category has ever had. Due to that...I normally don't specifically ask for a review (usually just constructive criticism), but during any one of these stories I kindly ask that you leave a review (or PM) giving me your thoughts. Though I have a vague outline in my head, I love to hear other peoples opinions on what I write as it gives me more perspective into my words. Was my writing messy? A character out of character? Perhaps you would like to see more of a person? Was a scene too rushed? I'll admit that I'm a bit scared about entering such a big project like this. I'm no great storyteller or decent writer, but I've always loved to construct huge tales. Feedback is the greatest thing you could give me, and if you'd prefer messaging because you have many comments or suggestions feel free to drop by.

**Author's Note 2:** Before I delve into the longer, more plot-filled stories of my main storyline, I'm going to start of with a prologue of sorts to set the basis. I hope you can guess who is coming next. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Phineas and Ferb and I'm not entirely sure whether _Antique Roadshow _still plays in the US. Todai refers to the University of Tokyo in Japan that is an altogether very nice school to consider if you are looking at universities—and I don't own that either.

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**A Considerable Offer**

**by Víra Reve**

Candace remembered her first meeting with Jeremy Johnson with surprising clarity. When it came down to it, they shouldn't have met at all. The city of Chicago had a population of nearly three million alone which made the fact that she could run into him, out of any person in Chicago, a pretty improbable chance. As an aspiring music major, she studied and lived near the music department building on 59th Street. Jeremy, as a culinary student, studied at the Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago –home to one of the best culinary schools in America. Their paths would never have crossed under normal circumstances.

But the circumstances were anything but normal, and she was one who never doubted fate.

It started Thursday evening after she went to the Medical Center for a quick check-up and was in and out in what seemed to be mere minutes. She was in no hurry to get back to her dorm and slowly meandered her way back, wondering if she should use the time sensibly to finish her Christmas shopping.

Then again…

There was always next week. Christmas shopping could be done at any time, but the scenery around her—_that_ only lasted for one season. Once the spring came and the snow melted, it would be gone and the next winter would just never be the same.

And she loved the winter here.

Winter in Chicago was a beautiful thing. Many people, especially her friends who came from the warmer parts of the country, complained when the snow came in heavily and the sunshine became a novelty, but Candace had been raised with winters like these. Granted they weren't quite as harsh, but there was a beauty here that she couldn't find at home. The crisp stillness in the air in the early morning, the crunch of ice when she walked on the covered campus quad, and the icicle-decorated tree branches that greeted her in the mornings were some of the things she loved about living here. Even seeing the frozen streets reflecting the lamplights at night became something she looked forward to when she was out in the evening. December had only just begun, but the Christmas décor was already taking up residence at most of the businesses she passed. As she walked back to her dorm, her mind slipped back to memories of Christmases in Danville. Soon she would be heading back home for winter break with her family. She wondered what the boys were up to now. She could only imagine what her brothers had been up to while she was gone and her eye twitched in annoyance. If they didn't watch it, they were going to get themselves hurt one day and who else was going to be the one saying 'I told you so' besides her?

The things she did for those two.

Regardless of the stress they caused her, thoughts of them brought her reminiscences of a burning hearth on Christmas Eve. She wondered what it would be like to come home to her family and friends after being away from home for so long. Had Phineas finally hit the growth spurt that he had been anxiously awaiting? Was Ferb still communicating in monosyllables? Would Perry still show up in random spots around her house? She knew her parents would be excited to see her and she couldn't wait to tell them about school. Her dad would most likely have a cow when she told him that her Eastern civilizations professor was a regular on _Antique Roadshow. _ Her best friend Stacy would probably be staying in Tokyo again this year to spend it with her father and sister. As much as she supported her friend's determined attempt to reconcile her estranged family, she still missed her. All the few phone calls and video chats they held, along with the random texts and rare emails, could never make up for having her friend with her in person. It had been more than two years since she last seen her and she couldn't wait for the day she would come back.

To be truthful, Candace's best friend was one of the smartest people she had ever known. Though she strongly resembled her Japanese heritage, she was born in Uruguay, to a Japanese doctor, and her husband, a scientist of mixed Japanese and Uruguayan descent. Until her parents separated when she was seven, Stacy lived in Tokyo. When she moved to Danville, the past education she had had laid out by her parents proved to put her at a level equal to that of students two grade levels above. So her mother who prided herself on making sure her daughter received a good education, placed her daughter among older peers.

Now because of that, Stacy was completing her third year of college while Candace was still stumbling through her freshman year. Stacy wanted to be a lawyer and a political-science major and for her undergraduate schooling, she had decided to pursue it in Japan at Todai. Stacy had hopes to become a prominent lawyer, and then retire to enter politics. With her academic success and skills at public speaking, Candace didn't doubt that her friend could achieve all of that. Candace on the other hand, had hopes of a career in music. Perhaps making it on Broadway or at least the theater here in Chicago where hopefully she would one day star on the silver screen.

She always swore to her brothers that she was meant to play Sophie in _Mamma Mia. _Or at least she could be a one-hit wonder like her mom back in the eighties. The future was widely open, filled with infinite opportunities and she felt like she could do anything like—

_What the hell!?_

Like save that idiot about to step right into traffic.

"Hey!"

Her hands wrapped around thickly covered arms, jerking the bundled up person from the street and back onto the sidewalk.

"What the hell do you think you're doing walking into traffic like that?" she yelled at body gripped between her hands.

The person in front of her stood stock still as if finally noticing the cars racing by and spun around to come face-to-face with Candace…_Oh…mi…_

Her brain shut off.

With blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a soft laugh lines near his mouth, Candace was pretty sure the sun had never shined the way he did right then. "Wow…thanks for that I would've been dead meat for sure," expressed the grateful stranger.

"Nooooo prooooooobleeeeeeeem," Candace hazily replied. He—this—there was no way he could be real. It was like the perfect man that she had envisioned in her fairytales had come to her. All she needed was for him to save her from a dragon or something and then he'd be prince. She started to lose her balance in her daze and pitched forward.

This time it was the same arms that she had pulled off the streets that caught her from falling onto the sidewalk.

Definitely a prince.

The man caught her and held her up to steady her. "Are you sure?"

She gave him a glazed look before reality cleared before her and she made sense of his words. Where was she again?

Oh right. Walking home.

"I'm fine…really." Looking into his eyes brought Candace back to memories of crazy summers with endless sky blue skies. "I feel…," oh God those eyes, "perfect."

Her companion sighed in relief, oblivious to her double-sided comment. "Well that's good; I was worried for a moment there." He gave a light laugh, "'Cause I'm _sure _my parents would love to hear how their son almost accidently killed himself, then had to take the girl who saved him to the hospital because she was ill herself. All while he was away for school."

Hold on a sec. "You're in college?" This day was getting better and better.

He grinned and she noted he pride laced in his voice, "Second year at Le Cordon Bleu." That explained the apron in his hand. Wait—

"Le Cordon Bleu! Are you serious?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Yea, my Uncle Joe taught me how to make a sandwich and it escalated drastically from there. How about you? Are you a student here, too?"

"Freshman at UChicago."

His eyebrows shot up, "UChicago?" He gave a whistle of amazement.

Candace's face flushed, "I'm only attending for their music program. I barely made the standard when I applied."

Mystery man chuckled, "I'm pretty sure your résumé and grades were "decent" if you got in."

As he finished speaking, a cold wind blew through the streets and straight through Candace. She tried to hold in the shiver, but her body quickly gave in with a chattering of teeth that rattled her whole self.

Maybe Chicago wasn't so great after all…

"Are you cold?"

Candace looked up to the concerned face, "Yes, I guess it's time for me to head back to my dorm."

"Alright.

She paused for a second, wanting to say something, anything, but clueless as how to end this. When a brief stretch of silence followed, she turned away with am mumbled farewell on her chapped lips. She lifted a foot to continue the trek back.

"Wait!"

The man hurried to her side, "Jeremy Johnson."

He held out his hand.

Candace's face warmed into a gentle smile. She grasped his outstretched hand with her right, "Candace Flynn."

The two held their gazes for a lengthy moment, until she turned away as her already cold-reddened cheeks gave into a darker hue. "Bye…have a happy holidays."

The two both started to hesitantly move away from each other and head off to their respective destinations. _Talk to him!_ Candace wanted to do something to stop him, but before her mind could even formulate a plan, he was already a step ahead of her.

"Candace wait!"

Today was definitely her day.

A pair of bright eyes whipped around to look intently at the speaker and a breath paused in hopeful anticipation.

"Well, I still feel like I owe you for saving my life back there. Would you like to grab a coffee or something?"

_He…just…Stacy is going to be soooooo jealous. YES! YES! YES!_

Turning around she could only gape at Jeremy as he was rubbing his neck in an embarrassed manner and staring at the dirty snow-laden sidewalk. When several seconds had passed, he looked up and noticed her gaping expression and mistook it for something different. Hiding the dejection in his eyes, he spoke "But if you've got other things-"

The first thing he noticed was a foreign presence on his arm and he looked down to see a small red-gloved hand resting gently on his jacket sleeve. His mouth fell open the slightest fraction when he looked at her with the baby blues that she was really starting to develop an appreciation for. She had a smile on her face and her eyes glimmered with mutual emotion.

"_Coffee_ would be nice."

Perhaps, she thought, Phineas was right that once when he told her that life was all about seizing the day.

"So I know this pretty neat coffee shop a few blocks down…"

**THE END**


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